Tiffany Trice is choosing to celebrate her daughter’s life instead of focusing on how she died.
“Canaa was a light,” Trice said. “Beautiful spirit, inside and out. She was a motivator, encourager, and a true friend.”
Trice spoke about her daughter Canaa Chaney without shedding tears. She flew into town from North Carolina for Chaney’s funeral, which is scheduled for Friday.
“We’re celebrating her life, not mourning her death because God allowed us to experience her for 40 years,” Trice said. “I’m proud of who she is. I’m proud of what she’s accomplished.”
Chaney worked in Human Resources, loved to read, work out, and travel.
Trice said the last time she saw her daughter was on vacation in September. It would be the last trip the two would take together.
“Before we left, she gave me a hug, and she says, ‘Mom, you can admit that I’m your favorite daughter now.’ And I said, ‘I don’t have favorites.’ She said, ‘I know, but I know I’m your favorite.’ I said, ‘Okay, you’re my favorite,’” Trice recounted.
Chaney had just gotten back from that trip when her husband, Barrington Brown, followed her using a tracker he put on her car and then shot her in their apartment in Middletown, according to police.
The two were in the middle of getting a divorce, and Chaney was in the process of moving out.
According to Brown’s arrest warrant, Chaney “had previously spoken about filing a restraining order against Brown, but did not feel she had enough evidence to get one issued.”
Mary-Jane Foster, president and CEO of domestic violence agency Interval House, said restraining orders can be hard to get. She points out that advocates work with victims to prove a threshold of fear in court.
“Intimate partner abuse is not just physical,” Foster said. “It’s financial. It’s verbal. It’s coercive control. It’s technological. Stalking is a very, very frightening, as this case illustrates, the very, very frightening indicator.”
Brown had a history of violence. He was married before and had four protective orders against him. The warrant said the orders had elapsed when he applied for gun permits.
Trice said she didn’t know his past until after her daughter’s death.
“If we could do something with a registry, that would mean that her death… it wasn’t in vain,” Trice said. “It would help someone else.”
The registry Trice is talking about is a list of domestic violence offenders. It’s an idea she’s hoping to work on with a domestic violence agency to help others know who they’re dating.
“It gives you a choice. Awareness and alertness gives you a choice,” Trice said.
Chaney leaves behind two children and a grandchild. She is expected to be laid to rest tomorrow.
If you or someone you know needs help, CT Safe Connect is available 24 hours a day at (888) 774-2900.
CT Safe Connect provides resources in Connecticut for survivors of domestic violence seeking services. If you need help or just someone to talk to, visit CTSafeConnect.org or call or text (888) 774-2900. Advocates are available 24/7.
Si necesitas información o si solo quieres conversar con alguien, por favor visite CTSafeConnect.org o llamada or texto (888) 774-2900. Los consejeros estará disponible las 24 horas del día, los siete días de la semana.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
